On Saturday, German news magazine Der Spiegel reported that it had viewed a document obtained by former National Security Agency (NSA) contractor Edward Snowden, in which the agency wrote that it had spied on Qatar-based Arab news broadcaster Al Jazeera. This appears to be the first confirmation that the NSA has used its powers to secretly monitor media outlets.

Der Spiegel did not publish any of the documents in question, but it noted that one was dated March 23, 2006 and showed that “the NSA's Network Analysis Center managed to access and read communication by 'interesting targets' that were specially protected by the news organization. The information also shows that the NSA officials were not satisfied with Al Jazeera's language analysis.” Der Spiegel also reports that in one of the documents, the NSA refers to this operation as a “notable success” because the targets of the operation had "high potential as sources of intelligence."

It is not clear whether the surveillance is ongoing or whether the operation was a one-off. The extent to which journalists and managers at Al Jazeera were spied on is also not clear from the Spiegel report.

Al Jazeera, as Spiegel notes, has been broadcasting audio and video communication from al-Qaida leaders for many years, which may have been a potential vector of interest for the spy agency. Since the Snowden leaks broke, however, this report is the first confirming NSA surveillance of a major media outlet.

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Already two comments to the effect of "nobody should be surprised," well no, but that is entirely aside from the point, don't you think? There's a world of difference between "we bet they do this" and "here is the paperwork."

And the argument that it's okay as long as it's not against Americans really grinds my gears. It's not like "not American" makes you somehow less worthy of basic respect like not having your stuff hacked into when not even accused of any crime

I don't think normal Americans even were stupid enough to not assume this. I mean isn't this what they're supposed to do more or less? It's when that is turned inward against its own people with no oversight that it's a huge problem.

It's not good they spy on news outlets comms, but it's no real surprise.

I have watched these articles go by week after week. And have spent a good chunk of my time, scanning through the comments. I think I'm somewhere in the tech stream middle. Frustrated/disappointed with the country I live in and the McCarthy era-esque cycle we seem to be going through, at the same time ambivalent in the sense that you always suspect some of this stuff goes on in all places, always has, and always will. Is it possible to be a pragmatic idealist?

There is an abstraction, I haven't seen much pen put to yet though. If we accept that with things like Google Glass and other things, in a world that is ever more connected, this kind of "data mining" is just going to get more pervasive, not less so. Me thinks that "privacy advocacy" is pushing rock up a hill. So why as a society, don't we go the other direction. IF the government can snoop all of my stuff, I want to be able to sniff all of the government's stuff. I want my government to remain by the people, for the people, but mostly OF the people. If as a society, we're going to watch each other, looking for suspicious types who mean individuals harm through terrorist acts, or pedophiles, let's just be general about it. I want to be able to watch and see and analyze every bit of lobbying that goes on in Washington.

The saddest thing about what's developing, to me, is not that privacy is dead, but rather that it's dead for some, but not for others. In a nation of "equality", this shouldn't be happening.

Al Jazeera is a legitimate target to gather intelligence on terrorists. Terrorist groups use it as their mouthpiece and Al Jazeera happily helps them to do that.

It sounds like there are no more big shocking stories from the Snowden files, this is rather humdrum. Obviously they don't have evidence of the NSA spying on the BBC or CNN or Routers, or they would have revealed that instead.

Al Jazeera is a legitimate target to gather intelligence on terrorists. Terrorist groups use it as their mouthpiece and Al Jazeera happily helps them to do that.

It sounds like there are no more big shocking stories from the Snowden files, this is rather humdrum. Obviously they don't have evidence of the NSA spying on the BBC or CNN or Routers, or they would have revealed that instead.

Not sure why this would be a surprise to anyone. Open Source intel had been around longer than open source software.

From what this article says, it could be that they were just watching AJ intently and doing theirown translations of some interviews. I bet they do that with CBS. The article clearly implies they're doing more, but I don't see where it actually alleges it. L

And given that AJ acts similarly to a state news source for a non-state organization, I find it even less surprising.

Already two comments to the effect of "nobody should be surprised," well no, but that is entirely aside from the point, don't you think? There's a world of difference between "we bet they do this" and "here is the paperwork."

And the argument that it's okay as long as it's not against Americans really grinds my gears. It's not like "not American" makes you somehow less worthy of basic respect like not having your stuff hacked into when not even accused of any crime

Al Jazeera is a legitimate target to gather intelligence on terrorists. Terrorist groups use it as their mouthpiece and Al Jazeera happily helps them to do that.

Al Jazeera has more credibility, and certainly is more objective, than any of CNN or Fox. Internationally, it's on par with the the BBC, or from Canada, the CBC.

The news isn't that people are surprised, but that there is confirmation of the extent of the insidious reach of the NSA. For a country that claims that a free and open public rhetoric is necessary for democracy, it sure goes a long way towards undermining that concept worldwide.

Al Jazeera is a legitimate target to gather intelligence on terrorists. Terrorist groups use it as their mouthpiece and Al Jazeera happily helps them to do that.

It sounds like there are no more big shocking stories from the Snowden files, this is rather humdrum. Obviously they don't have evidence of the NSA spying on the BBC or CNN or Routers, or they would have revealed that instead.

I'm sure what you're saying won't be a popular opinion, but I think you make a very good point. I see no reason a foreign media organization should somehow be considered off-limits to intelligence gathering if that organization regularly communicates with terrorists and/or other valid foreign intelligence targets (something that certainly applies to Al-Jazeera). I'd be interested in any arguments to the contrary though...

I have watched these articles go by week after week. And have spent a good chunk of my time, scanning through the comments. I think I'm somewhere in the tech stream middle. Frustrated/disappointed with the country I live in and the McCarthy era-esque cycle we seem to be going through, at the same time ambivalent in the sense that you always suspect some of this stuff goes on in all places, always has, and always will. Is it possible to be a pragmatic idealist?

There is an abstraction, I haven't seen much pen put to yet though. If we accept that with things like Google Glass and other things, in a world that is ever more connected, this kind of "data mining" is just going to get more pervasive, not less so. Me thinks that "privacy advocacy" is pushing rock up a hill. So why as a society, don't we go the other direction. IF the government can snoop all of my stuff, I want to be able to sniff all of the government's stuff. I want my government to remain by the people, for the people, but mostly OF the people. If as a society, we're going to watch each other, looking for suspicious types who mean individuals harm through terrorist acts, or pedophiles, let's just be general about it. I want to be able to watch and see and analyze every bit of lobbying that goes on in Washington.

The saddest thing about what's developing, to me, is not that privacy is dead, but rather that it's dead for some, but not for others. In a nation of "equality", this shouldn't be happening.

The writer David Brin has already been pushing for that very idea for some while now.

It's 2006 (or earlier), the USA is in the middle of a war with Al Qaeda initiated by Al Qaeda, Bin Laden et al are still on the loose, and the US monitors and cracks communications to the favored - foreign - media outlet/mouthpiece of Al Qaeda. Well of course they do. Sorry, but despite my considerable distaste for the Bush/Cheney years my outrage meter is pegged at zero on this one.

Aren't there just supposed to be three?… What's the one on the end doing?masturbating?

It's Google.

"... Sometimes there is a fourth monkey depicted with the three others; the last one, Shizaru, symbolizes the principle of "do no evil". ..."

... Well it's not evil. But I don't know if I'd be doing that with three other guys on the same bench.The way I was raised, that type of ah, 'meditation' is best done in private. (Along with taking pictures of your butt.)

I have watched these articles go by week after week. And have spent a good chunk of my time, scanning through the comments. I think I'm somewhere in the tech stream middle. Frustrated/disappointed with the country I live in and the McCarthy era-esque cycle we seem to be going through, at the same time ambivalent in the sense that you always suspect some of this stuff goes on in all places, always has, and always will. Is it possible to be a pragmatic idealist?

There is an abstraction, I haven't seen much pen put to yet though. If we accept that with things like Google Glass and other things, in a world that is ever more connected, this kind of "data mining" is just going to get more pervasive, not less so. Me thinks that "privacy advocacy" is pushing rock up a hill. So why as a society, don't we go the other direction. IF the government can snoop all of my stuff, I want to be able to sniff all of the government's stuff. I want my government to remain by the people, for the people, but mostly OF the people. If as a society, we're going to watch each other, looking for suspicious types who mean individuals harm through terrorist acts, or pedophiles, let's just be general about it. I want to be able to watch and see and analyze every bit of lobbying that goes on in Washington.

The saddest thing about what's developing, to me, is not that privacy is dead, but rather that it's dead for some, but not for others. In a nation of "equality", this shouldn't be happening.

The writer David Brin has already been pushing for that very idea for some while now.

Already two comments to the effect of "nobody should be surprised," well no, but that is entirely aside from the point, don't you think? There's a world of difference between "we bet they do this" and "here is the paperwork."

And the argument that it's okay as long as it's not against Americans really grinds my gears. It's not like "not American" makes you somehow less worthy of basic respect like not having your stuff hacked into when not even accused of any crime

Have you ever watched Al Jazeera? The idea of level, balanced, unbiased reporting is totally lost on them. They are an Islamist media organ In a Western media facade.

The Egyptian government is going to probably kick them out of the country in the next few days. And from what I've seen, with good reason.

You should watch the documentary Control Room. A-J may have occasional bias, but they're nowhere nears as bad as Fox, MSNBC, or CNN for that matter. I watch it semi-regularly and they come pretty close to the BBC most of the time with regards to bias.

This is not new news for any average American who have paid attention to the latest news on NSA. But it will be a big surprise to me if the German paper says there are evidences indicating NSA has not been spying on Jazeera. Thanks Germany, we already knew even before the Snowden's leaks.

Back in late 2008 while I was in a tour to Hong Kong for a couple of years. A news article from the South China Morning Post says that all Hong Kong high rank police officials required to leave their cellphones out at the conference room front desk before entering. Meaning there will be no cellphones allowed in the police conference room. The Post also says that there were evidences showed that the police conferences were being listening in from an outside third party other than from their own police agencies through their high rank police officials cell phones.

It also says that the phones were acted as a listening device evens the phones were power off and or in its inactive modes. I immediately linked that matter to the U.S. intelligences. Who else would have that capacity? This is not new news for any average American who just know how to spell the word "NSA", but it will be a big surprise to me if the German paper says there are evidences indicating that NSA has not been spying on Jazeera. Thanks Germany, we already knew even before the Snowden's leaks.

Some of you make me sick.. Al Jazeera report the news, what both sides say & motivations are instead of "rah rah! USA! USA!" So clearly they must be terrorist sympathisers and Al Qaeda's mouthpiece.. Yeah right. You're so blindly partisan and jingoistic that you don't even realise it

I see no reason a foreign media organization should somehow be considered off-limits to intelligence gathering if that organization regularly communicates with terrorists and/or other valid foreign intelligence targets (something that certainly applies to Al-Jazeera). I'd be interested in any arguments to the contrary though...

Because the media needs to be protected. Free speech and all of that.

If the media's secret discussions are not secret, then they will stop covering controversial topics.

Already two comments to the effect of "nobody should be surprised," well no, but that is entirely aside from the point, don't you think? There's a world of difference between "we bet they do this" and "here is the paperwork."

And the argument that it's okay as long as it's not against Americans really grinds my gears. It's not like "not American" makes you somehow less worthy of basic respect like not having your stuff hacked into when not even accused of any crime

Have you ever watched Al Jazeera? The idea of level, balanced, unbiased reporting is totally lost on them. They are an Islamist media organ In a Western media facade.

The Egyptian government is going to probably kick them out of the country in the next few days. And from what I've seen, with good reason.

You should watch the documentary Control Room. A-J may have occasional bias, but they're nowhere nears as bad as Fox, MSNBC, or CNN for that matter. I watch it semi-regularly and they come pretty close to the BBC most of the time with regards to bias.

I don't disagree at all. But Al Jazeera is beyond the pale. Watch their broadcast for a few days. You'll get the gist. They make FOX and MSNBC look like the reporting from Walter Cronkite.

And that makes it okay to spy on them? Where is the line then, can Fox and MSNBC reporters be spied on because they aren't objective? Greenwald has an agenda, does that make it okay to bug his house?

I don't think normal Americans even were stupid enough to not assume this. I mean isn't this what they're supposed to do more or less? It's when that is turned inward against its own people with no oversight that it's a huge problem.

It's not good they spy on news outlets comms, but it's no real surprise.

Every time there is a new report from the Snowden cache of NSA documents there is always someone who steps up to the mic and says we shouldn't be surprised or we knew this all along.

First of all, we really knew hardly any of it for fact. We only guessed.

Second, as Americans we should be surprised and horrified of a government run amok. That this was Al Jazeera is besides the point.

To say we shouldn't be surprised each and every time is just contributing to the idea we should accept it.

I guess we can't be surprised to learn next that they are spying on the NY TImes and Washington Post?

Some of you make me sick.. Al Jazeera report the news, what both sides say & motivations are instead of "rah rah! USA! USA!" So clearly they must be terrorist sympathisers and Al Qaeda's mouthpiece.. Yeah right. You're so blindly partisan and jingoistic that you don't even realise it